Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-02-11
A FRIGATfUL PLUNGE.
i P1SNSENGER TR.lTN THROU q
FROM 4 BRfDGE INTO WHITE
RITER.

iAfN - bhfUtfL iNIO UWIIE
RIER.
MORE THAN THIRTY PERSONS
KILLED AND MANY WOUNDED.
CONCORD, y. H., February .
The express train that left Boston
at Z o'clock last night met with
terrible accident near Woodstock,
on the Central Vermont railroad.
at about 2:30 this morning. The
accident assumed frightful proper
tions as particulars came in, and
it is feared that thirty or forty lives
were lost. The Inflated train start.
ed from this city on time, but was
detained at White River Junction,
so IL was abOut one hour and
halt late when il left there. II con.
sisted of n locomotive, baggage
car, postal car, two passenger
coaches, and two sleeping ears,
and was running at the usual rate
OF speed. When about two hun
dred yards south of the end of the
deck bridge, near the old Windsor
station, broken rail was struck.
The locomotive, baggage car and
postal-car broke away from the
rest of the train, passing over the
bridge in safety. The rest of the
train was thrown from the rails
and continued on the road-bed I'M
iii it came near the end OF the
bridge, but there it ran over the
abutment and all Of the cars fell
into White river, some fifty feet
below.
The gorge at this point is fright
fnl. and when the cars went down
there was terrible crash. AS
soon as possible the detached part
of the train was stopped and ran
back to the scene of the disaster.
The screams of the injured were
heartrendng. Assistance also
came from the people living in the
vicinity, and everi thing was done
TO save and to relieve the injured.
Soon after help arrived it was dis
covered that fire had started in the
first passenger coach, and soon the
entire train was ablaze, thus adding
a new horror to the already fright.
full catastrophe.
Those present were pOwerless
to stop the fire, and devoted tn m
selves entirely to attempting to res
cue those imprisoned in the wreck.
The rescuers met another, and an
unexpected obstacle in the heat,
which had become so intense that
they were obliged to relinqulsh
their efforts to save the sufferers,
and we're compelled TO retreat to a
place of safety themselves, and be-
come unwilling and hOrrorstricken
witnesses of the holocaust. In adj
dition to this, and to add to the
terrors and suflerlngs of the pas.
sengers, the weather was intensely
cold, and the heroic rescuers were
hindered thereby in their work.
/ No water could be obtained with
which to check or eXtlngulsh
the flames. The ice was several
/ inches thick on the river, and
there were no appliances at hand
to raise It.
CONCORD, y. H., February D
! An occupant of the Boston sleeper
ON the wrecked Montreal train,
passed through here This afternoon.
| lie said the car was full, every
berth being occupied. lie thinks
it must have been about . 10 A. VI.
when he was awakened by the
ouivering of the car as Il 1t were
of the rails. This movement he
noticed but short time when he
became conscious that the coach
had gone over the abulment OF the
bridge. and was sinking with
/ friehtlul rapidly. To add to his
CONSERVATION, the car turned mp
side down. and when it struck the
ice IN the river, the top crushed in,
lie occupied the lower berth, and
by almost superbuman cXertlons,
succeeded in extricating himself
from the wreck. He was well &C.
dnainted with the occupant OF the
upper berth, a Boston gentleman,
and as quickly as possible set him
self at work to relieve his friend.
lie worked with energy, and by
kind words cheered him; bnt his
efforts proved unsuccessful, and he
was finally driven away by the
flames. and became involuntary
witness of the horrible death of his
companion, who was burned before
his eyes. He saw quite a number
of persons rescued, many OF them
with severe bruises and burns.
But few bodies had been taken
ont when he left. At that time 1t
was impossible to ascertain the
names or the number of the VIC
tins. He expressed the belief,
however, that not more than thirty
persons we're killed. The railroad
bridge took fire from the wreck and
was totally destroyed. The acct
dent is the most terrible of any
that ever occurred in Northern
New England.